How to have a sustainable wedding
Having a green wedding isn’t a black and white affair (pardon the pun!). When it comes to sustainable wedding ideas, there are many shades of green, with some being easier to achieve than others. You don’t have to tick all the eco-boxes, but, if you try to incorporate just two or three eco-friendly wedding ideas into your big day plans, then you’ll be rewarded for your eco-efforts.
6 Simple Sustainable Wedding Ideas
1.Reduce your carbon footprint at an all-in-one venue
Anything you can do to reduce the time you and your guests spend in the car is the first step to tying the knot sustainably. When you consider the transport needed to shuttle 100 guests to and from a wedding ceremony to the reception and then on to different accommodation venues, it quickly adds up to a lot of miles. That makes venues that offer the whole package – ceremony, reception and accommodation – a much greener option. At our Cotswold wedding barn, guests have exclusive use of the whole venue from before the wedding ceremony to the morning after, so guests can relax all night long, with no transport required.
2. Dine on food and drink according to the seasons
Another easy to achieve sustainable wedding idea is to eat with the seasons. This is not only better for the environment, it also tastes better too! In spring, what can beat fresh asparagus, baby new potatoes or slow cooked lamb , while in summer, guests can look forward to Mediterranean-style salads and BBQs followed by fresh strawberries and cream. Some wedding caterers prefer to use local suppliers for food and drink which helps to keep food miles down. And if your venue allows corkage, like at Lapstone Barn, you can bring your own wines from local vineyards such as Woodchester Valley Vineyard.
3. Choose more sustainable wedding flowers
Floral arrangements are a key part of any wedding day so use them to boost your green wedding credentials. One of the easiest ways to have a more sustainable wedding is to choose flowers that are in season and grown locally. Using wildflowers and native greenery gives a natural, rustic vibe (which, incidentally, looks beautiful in our rural Cotswold stone wedding venue!). Or, you could opt for dried wedding flowers, which can be reused, and is fast becoming a key sustainable wedding trend.
4. Plant potted centrepieces
Instead of floral displays you could consider using potted plants as centrepieces on your tables. One of our couples, who both love chillis, worked with a UK grower to grow brightly coloured chilli plants which were then used as centrepieces for each table. They looked stunning in their simplicity, and guests were encouraged to take the plants home afterwards. Orchids, spray roses, and mini shrubs all make good options.
And, if you are having a spring wedding, think about planting bulbs in pretty containers during the winter so that by the time your wedding day comes round, you’ll have ready-made table displays! Beautifully scented hyacinths, jewel-coloured tulips or cheery golden daffodils are all winners and it’ll save you a fortune on flowers too!
5. Think twice about wedding favours
Wedding favours can really divide opinion. While it’s a lovely gesture on the couple’s part to thank their guests for supporting them, gifts that add to our throw-away culture don’t serve anybody. In our recent blog Falling out of favour – are wedding favours really worth it? we discovered that the best wedding favours are those that were personal – items that were handmade by the couple or a personalised food and drink product that guests could take home and enjoy.
6. Cultivate a sustainable dress sense
One of the biggest expenditures at a wedding has traditionally been the bride’s dress. But as sustainable fashion has become headline news in recent years, the way couples approach their wedding attire is changing, and in a way which benefits the budget as much as the environment. When it comes to men’s wedding outfits, it has long been customary to hire formal suits. That option wasn’t readily available for brides, but today it’s a different story. There are wedding dress hire services throughout the country offering rentals of designer dresses at under £100 a day, with some even as low as £20! MywardrobeHq currently has a stunning selection of Savannah Miller bridal gowns that hover around the £100 mark for rental and which would set you back thousands new.
If you’re a fan of thrift-store shopping, then another sustainable wedding idea is to buy pre-loved and vintage wedding dresses. You will need to find a good local seamstress who can nip and tuck your dress in all the right places but you’ll have a perfect-fitting dress at a fraction of the cost. Bridalreloved is a good place to start for wedding dresses that are half the price of the original cost.
Have a greener wedding at Lapstone Barn
At Lapstone Barn, we have taken simple steps to reduce our impact on the environment. If you are looking to have a more sustainable wedding in a beautiful, rural location with nature as your backdrop, then why not book an appointment – we would love to show you around our venue.
